


Sparks Fly

by lightthornn



Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fluff, Kissing in the Rain, Love Confessions, and some angst ofc, just some jordelia fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightthornn/pseuds/lightthornn
Summary: Drop everything nowMeet me in the pouring rainKiss me on the sidewalkTake away the painGrace takes off the gracelet, and James realizes how much he has to say to Cordelia.
Relationships: Cordelia Carstairs/James Herondale
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Sparks Fly

"Grace," James choked out, his words hardly understandable as he held out his arm in front of her, his eyes staring at the silver bracelet that he had worn for years, that he had never even thought about being dangerous. Never in a million years would he have thought it was a curse disguised as a blessing, painting over the chipped wallpaper with love. "Please."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice level, her grey eyes matching the metal that had been trapping him. 

"Yes you do," James insisted. When Magnus had first told him, speaking of dark magic, James hadn't wanted to believe it, dismissing it as a result of his demon blood. It was only when Magnus told him that the same thing was not existent with his sister, when James had started to think about it. 

Those days when he hadn't been wearing it. Cordelia with her fiery red hair, a kiss in the whispering room that crossed his mind even when he was wearing it again. It had been false, but then why had it felt so real at the moment, when it was happening? 

Grace took a step back, almost tripping on her dress as she did so. "You're being foolish." 

"Then take it off," 

She shook her head, her hair shaking around her shoulders, such a sharp contrast to the red that James imagined at night, when he was with nothing but his thoughts. "Why would I do that?" 

"To prove that it doesn't mean anything," If he had spent the last four years put under some sort of spell- well, James wasn't sure what he would do if that was the case, or how he would deal with it. He would cross that bridge when it came to it. 

"I lost the key." The lie was evident in the way she refused to meet his eyes. She only looked down at the ground, and he was sure that his stomach had just dropped to the floor as realization hit him like a boulder, knocking him down. 

"Take it off." Harshness that he hadn't anticipated leaked into his tone. 

"No." 

"If you don't take it off- I will find people who will. I am friends with Magnus Bane, my best friend's mother is the Consul." They were empty threats (for now) and he knew it. But he didn't know if she did, and that would change everything. 

"You have to love me," Grace said, and right then, he saw the raw sadness that she always tried to hide away, that she usually was good at. 

James took a deep breath. "If I do love you, then taking this off will do nothing, right? It will only make you certain that I do love you." 

"You don't understand. You're getting married to her." 

"I am," James agreed. The wedding hadn't even crossed his mind until now. He wondered for a moment if things would be different, if maybe it would help. It was only for a year, but he planned on making that year as amazing as possible for Cordelia. 

"Things can change with marriage. Being so close to one, and having to put up with the act. Feelings are never permanent." 

"Love is different," James said like it was a fact. "If I do love you, having this off will only do good things. What can it do when it's on, when I know about it now? It will only shatter trust more than it already has." 

Grace bit her lip, grabbing his wrist. "You'll still love me." 

"I hope so," he murmured, though maybe that was a lie. 

"Fine." She turned away and rummaged in a drawer. When she was back in front of him, she was holding a key. 

* * *

Cordelia pressed her forehead against the damp, freezing window. She had come to the Institute to train with Lucie, but rain had prolonged her stay. Mr. Herondale had been pleased that she would be staying the night, and had assured her that she could stay as long as she needed to. Alastair had come too, but had decided to go back home. She was sure it had something to do with Matthew also being there, but hadn't pressed him, only making him promise to be safe. Thomas had ended up offering to bring him home, and she trusted him. 

Now, she was alone with her thoughts, and she let her mind drift to the wedding that she was dreading. 

When she was planning with her friends, or getting her dress fitted with her mother, she would wear a smile on her face that few knew was fake. Her mother would have a fit if she even got the slightest idea, and besides, they couldn't tell anyone besides the small group of people who were allowed to know. 

And it wasn't even James that she was dreading. In fact, she had been dreaming for years of this. Finally getting to know she was marrying James, who she had loved since she was young. 

But he didn't love her back, and she knew if the girl from years ago found out, her heart would've broken when she saw what the future had in store for her. After all, marriage was supposed to be loving, the best thing that ever happened to anyone. 

James was in love with Grace Blackthorn, and she didn't see him falling out of love anytime soon. 

Yet, when she saw the way he looked at Grace, she always felt a pang of misery, wishing that he would look at her that way. She didn't know what he saw in Grace, but she was forced to stand by and feel like her heart was being squeezed every moment that she stood by him, putting up the act of the century. He was good at it too. When he would smile at her and she could swear there was a spark in his eyes. She tried not to think about it too much, worrying about dreaming of things that would never happen. 

It was only a year, she reminded herself. A year of James pretending to love her and Cordelia pretending that she didn't. 

Pretending was a dangerous game, she was learning. One that she could lose at any second. 

* * *

The key turning seemed to take a hundred years, as James waited for it to finally be off, to see what it really did to him. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't terrified. Spells could do anything, there was no way of knowing what would happen once it was finally off. 

Finally, the key clicked and Grace pulled it away. "There," she said, turning away. 

James stared at the back of her head, knowing that he should want to comfort her. But he felt like he couldn't. "Oh," he said, not quite knowing what he was saying it for. 

"It might... take a few minutes," Grace said. It sounded like she was about to cry. "You should go." 

"But-" 

She cut him off. "There's nothing for you here, James." 

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. Why would there be nothing there? Wasn't he supposed to love her? 

"You'll know soon enough. Besides... you should go see your friends."

"My friends? Why would I-"

 _Oh_.

Like an explosion, he was hit with a million emotions all at once, too fast to make any sense of them as they swirled in his chest, seeming to fight for his attention. All he knew was that when he looked at Grace, he didn't feel any of the warmth that he recognized with love. Only an unsettling chill. 

"Please, James. Just go." she whispered. 

This time, he didn't even try to argue with her, still feeling like he was about to stumble over. He glanced around the halls of her home, making his way out the back door without realizing what he was doing, moving in what was almost a daze. 

Even though he had been told that the bracelet may have been doing awful things to him, he would've never thought having it off would feel like this. He felt more free than he ever had, like he could do whatever he wanted to and face no consequence. His wrist felt bare, like he was was walking onto a crowded street without any clothes on. It was something he knew Matthew would tease him for. 

What he did know, was that he couldn't seem to remember exactly why he had ever wanted to be with Grace. It was odd; he knew what he had felt, how he had been sure that he would never love anyone more than he loved her. 

_You have to love me._

It was almost too simple to figure out what she had done. 

He glanced around their garden. It was beautiful, but he wasn't looking at the big thing, his focus seeming to only land on a few flowers, hidden away like they weren't as important as the others, with their white petals, while they were surrounded by every other color, outshining it to anyone else. But he knew what those flowers were. 

They were daisies.

"Daisy." 

* * *

"Have you seen James?" Cordelia asked, opening the door to Lucie's bedroom. Lucie jumped. "It's just me. Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." 

"I'm fine," Lucie said quickly. "Just startled. And no, I haven't seen him. I thought he mentioned something about Grace?" 

Cordelia's face fell. He had _promised._ Promised that he would stay away from her. 

"Did you need him for something?" Lucie asked. 

She shook her head. "I just wanted to ask him about something. It can wait, though." 

She had wanted to ask him what kind of cake he wanted at the wedding, remembering that her mother had asked her, wanting to make the best one she could. Cordelia had said that she would ask him, but really she just wanted to talk to him. Doing so ended up being painful most of the time, but it was like he was gravity, pulling her in and never letting her go. She was always drawn to him. 

"He should be back soon." Lucie said hopefully. 

"Of course," Cordelia said. "How's writing going?" She gestured to the stack of papers sitting on Lucie's bed, that looked like she had just been going through them. 

"Lovely," Lucie said. "I added a new character- I do hope that you'll like him." 

"I'm certain I will," Cordelia said with a smile. She had always loved Lucie's writing, even though it was more than evident where she got her inspiration from. She was quite good, and was sure that if she weren't a Shadowhunter, she could make quite the life doing it. 

Lucie grinned. "Do you mind if we go out tomorrow? I'm in need of some new pens." 

"Lucie, look how many you have." There was a tin of them sitting on her desk, and she was sure she had never seen so many in one place. 

"Oh, but one can never have enough pens." 

Cordelia was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. Lucie opened it to Mrs. Herondale standing there. "Cordelia dear, it's a message from James. You're supposed to meet him at Blackfriars Bridge. He said it was urgent." 

Worry flooded through her. Had he been hurt? Had something happened with Grace? A million possibilities ran through her head before she remembered to nod. "Of course." 

"He's fine," Lucie assured her. "It's probably something to do with the wedding." 

Of course it would be just with the wedding. She knew that she shouldn't get worried, knowing that if James was really in danger, he would have sent for backup, not just her. Surely, she was fretting too much. 

Back in her room, she put a coat on and grabbed an umbrella. Why James had insisted on meeting outside in the rain was a mystery to her, and she surely would ask him about it the second she saw him. Really, she knew that this was nothing to do with the wedding. While he planned with her and their families, he had never been too invested in it, and she always hated to think that he didn't really want to be married to her. Now, she certainly knew that, but she hated that he was only doing it so that her reputation was not ruined. 

It was still downpouring outside as she made the short distance to the bridge, holding her umbrella over her. She was still soaked within minutes, her hair sticking to her face, and her dress clinging to her. She was glad she had chosen the dark blue one rather than a lighter color. The walk to the bridge was quick, but it felt like longer as she dwelled on why he would need her so quickly. 

When she got there, she saw him right away. He was standing by the railing, soaked, clinging onto the edge and looking into the river below. He didn't seem to notice her until she was right next to him. "James?" 

He turned towards her and almost looked startled when he saw her there. James was looking at her like he was seeing her for the very first time. 

"Daisy. You're here." 

* * *

Cordelia had always been beautiful. That was something he had always known, even if he had thought himself to be in love with Grace. If someone had asked him, he would say that yes, of course she was beautiful. He could still see that someone was attractive without being in love with them. 

But seeing her now-

James would say that she rivaled the sun, the most beautiful blazes. And even though it was raining, and her hair was flat and dark against her face, he was certain that he would never see anything more beautiful. What had he been thinking when he had seen her any other time? How clouded over had his mind been to make him unable to see the light that was Cordelia? 

"Do you need something?" She asked, and he could see a slight amount of worry in her. 

"No." He said, not knowing how he had ever managed to even make sense in her presence. His tongue felt like it had been tied into knots, and he was sure that his heart was about to pound out of his chest. "I- I went to see Grace."

"You promised that you wouldn't see her. I thought you kept your promises," Cordelia said, anger in her tone. 

"I know. But this was important. She took off that bracelet." He held up his bare wrist slightly, before letting it fall back to his side. "There was a spell on it." 

"Oh." She frowned. "Are you okay? What did the spell do? You're not hurt right?" She looked over him, her eyes taking him in. Even though he knew that she was just checking him for injuries, a spark ran through him.

"I don't know exactly what it did," He could guess, though. "I- I don't think I loved her." 

"Don't be silly," Cordelia said. She sounded distant. "You love her with all you are." 

"No, I don't." 

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she met his eyes with her own. He found that under her gaze, he felt like he would burst into flames at any second, or melt down to the ground. "When I look at her, all I feel is an echo of what was false. Nothing but a breeze in the middle of the storm. I'm certain that it made me think I loved her." 

"You don't love her." 

"No. No, I don't." He remembered saying those same words. A different time, about a different girl, doing what he had to do to stay safe, to save himself and Cordelia. He had always known he would do anything to protect her. 

"And those days when I wasn't wearing it..." 

"The whispering room." Cordelia said quietly. "You weren't wearing it then." 

"I wasn't." He agreed. He could remember that moment fully right then; how he had wanted nothing else except to kiss her until the end of time. If he had died right then, he would be fine with it. He would be honored if he died in her arms. 

She said her next words as if they terrified her to say them. "Was it real? I need to know, James." 

"Yes. It was real. I told you I had never wanted anything more than to kiss you, and it was the truth. I know I said it was false, but it wasn't. I have never felt more alive than I did when I was kissing you." 

Cordelia nodded slowly. "James, do you love me?" 

Before, he was sure that he would've had to think about his answer, and then he would've told her that he didn't. But now, with this new freedom, he knew the answer more than he had known anything. "I do. I love you. So much." 

"Are you sure?" 

"More sure than I have been of anything. I-I'm more sure that I love you than I am of the fact that we breathe air. I'm sure that I've loved you since you read to me when I was sick. And.. I don't know how I didn't know, even though the spell, because now I look at you, and it's like I am looking at my own heart. Because you are my heart, Cordelia. I gave it to you a long time ago without knowing, and I only ask that you are kind with it, though even if you did destroy it, I would let you. I couldn't imagine a better person to give it to." 

Cordelia laughed, and it was the most lovely sound he had ever heard. "You daft idiot," She said, before leaning up and kissing him. 

Her umbrella fell to the ground as she wrapped her arms around his neck. James kissed her with everything he had, pulling her closer to him with one hand while the other tangled itself in her hair. 

"I love you too," she mumbled against his lips, and James smiled into the kiss, not caring that mundanes were walking around, or that rain was falling all over them.

He knew now, that this was the type of kiss people told stories about, wrote about in romance novels and the ones that left you wishing for your own that day, for that love that would never go away, and that was stronger than anything else.

Cordelia started to stand on her tip toes to reach him better, but almost slipped. She yelped and he grabbed her arm. As soon as they met each other's eyes, they both burst into laughter. "Perhaps we should go inside." She said, holding back giggles by putting a hand over her mouth. 

"Oh?" He asked, raising a teasing eyebrow. 

"Yes, in fact. My mother needs us to pick cake for the wedding." 

He had forgotten about the wedding until now. But when he thought of it, both of them dressed in gold in front of all their family and friends, he couldn't imagine something he wanted more. "Then let us pick some cake." 


End file.
